Lion's Pride
by ScarredSchimitar
Summary: When a soul-searching journey ends up being a struggle to survive, Damon Smith must live with the consequences of his actions. But what happens when his past comes back to haunt him, and the White Tigers? Rated for language and adult themes.
1. A Bittersweet Reunion

Welcome, all, to my Beyblade story, Lion's Pride! It's been a while since I picked up writing again, but I recently rewatched most of the Beyblade original series, which inspired me to write this! I hope you enjoy it!

-0-

_They say home is where the start is. In my case, it is where I end this journey, only to start another. To be home again...I will be happy. I can finally breathe, relax._

_I suppose I should tell them I'm on my way._

"Lee, look!"

An ecstatic Mariah darted into the room with a message in hand. She showed Lee the message with a wide grin on her face. "It's a letter from Damon!"

"Damon?" Lee was taken aback. "That's impossible!"

Damon Smith was a childhood friend of Lee and Mariah's. While he never truly acquainted himself with the rest of the White Tigers, Damon was always fond of the two of them, and grew especially close with Mariah over the years. The two were inseperable, and it was through Mariah that Damon developed a passion for Beyblading.

Damon, much like Ray, had left the confines of the village in the pursuit of knowledge. They say he left for some parts of Canada, but he never really explained where he was going. He hadn't messaged home in quite some time...and Lee was starting to get concerned about whether or not he was even alive.

"What...what does it say?" Lee inquired.

"I don't know, I haven't opened it." Mariah replied. She quickly ripped open the envelope containing the letter and began to read it aloud. "Dear Mariah..."

He looks over the mountains onto a beautiful sunset. All seems peaceful.

_I hope you've been doing well. From the day I have embarked on this journey in pursuit of knowledge and training in my own Beyblading skills, I have learned much. But there has not been a day where my fond memories of home escape me. Every day, the knowledge that I will one day return home to have yourself and Lee welcome me with open arms grants me solace, and helps me sleep at night._

He is in a crowded city street. Horns are honking in the busy intersection as traffic congests. He looks to the full moon, and remembers the day he and his friends gazed upon the stars on a beautiful moonlight night.

_With every passing day, I learn, I improve, and I struggle._

A fierce Beybattle between he and his opponent is being waged. Neither side giving an inch. He gives his all into his final attack. His Beyblade glows a fierce forest green, and his opponent is knocked out of the stadium. The surrounding crowd of bystanders cheers as he is declared victorious.

_There have been...developments, so to speak. You of all people should understand._

A figure sits with him as he lays next to a beautiful oak tree in the field. He looks out onto the prairie.

_But through all my accomplishments, my victories, and the fruits I have bore, there has been equal, if not greater suffering._

His blade slows to a crawl. He growls at the three figures who stand menacingly against him. He is knocked to the ground, and he is unable to get up. The rain soaks him as the figures draw towards him.

_But I have endured through this; there is no journey without peaks **and** valleys._

He grins at the morning light as he looks out onto what appears to be an airport.

"That's why I'm writing this letter to let you know that I'm coming **home**!" She embraced Lee happily.

"Damon..." Lee said. "I can't believe it, he's finally coming home!"

Most people like to pass the time on an airplane by sleeping, watching a movie, or listening to music on an MP3 player. Instead, Damon decided to spend his time meditating on the plane with his Beyblade between his fingers. The blade was a dark green in color, and was firmly gripped around by his thumb and index fingers. He didn't move an inch the entire ride.

It was a far cry from the eager young boy who grew up in the small White Tiger village. Much like his friends, he was a fun-loving kid who loved to Beyblade. But he was not without his secrets, his skeletons. His past, who he was, and his journey would all come to haunt him soon enough.

"..."

He broke his concentration to check his peripherals. Nobody suspicious showed up, but a feeling of dread crept up his spine like a centipede. He couldn't shake the feeling like he was being watched, despite being at the very back of the plane, and sitting next to an overweight tourist who was fast asleep.

He shook off the thought of it and looked out the window. They were flying over China now, meaning his destination was close. He took a deep breath before resuming his meditations.

"...You promised me! You promised me this was all over!"

"...I suppose I lied to you, then."

No, it was the right choice. There was no way he could let them use the one he cared for the most against him.

"..."

He clenched his Beyblade. A response ripped through him like a dagger.

"!"

He looked down. His blade had fallen out of his hands. He reached down to pick it up, and looking at the bit, had a strange feeling it was calling out to him.

Damon's Bit Beast was the creature known as the Galadillo. He hadn't connected to it much, but something struck him there. It was as if Galadillo was trying to speak out to him.

"...What are you getting at?"

"Huh? Whatya mean I-?"

Not having realized he said that out loud, he looked over to the passenger next to him. Damon apparently woke him up.

"I...I apologize, sir." he quickly said.

"Eh, it's _nobideal_." the man muttered before settling back into his sleep.

He was a ball of nerves and he knew it. Everything was putting him on edge. He was getting out of the hell he'd wrapped himself up in. Everything about that facility, that Beyblade, that man, was behind him. Yet everytime he reminded himself of that, that face, with that naive little smile, pierced through his concentration. He couldn't shake it, couldn't help but regret that perhaps he'd made a mistake. Every second he spent thinking about it made his blood boil. Had he _really_ done the right thing, leaving them all behind? Perhaps he should have just stayed in the village. Then none of this ever would have-

"Passengers, we will be landing in 5 minutes. Please secure your seatbelts for descent." a voice rang out.

Shaking his head, he fastened his seatbelt and let the whir of the engines drown out his thoughts. He thought only of returning to Mariah, and seeing Lee again, and that put a smile on his face.

A few seats ahead, a figure was staring at Damon. He grinned as he fastened his seatbelt.

"Damon!"

She ran up to him and gave him a huge hug. Damon smiled meekly and let out a soft chuckle.

"It's...good to see you, Mariah. It's been...too long." Damon said.

"...Damon."

"Lee..."

Damon and Lee stared at each other for a couple seconds before giving each other a firm handshake.

"I'm glad you're back, my friend." Lee said.

"I'm...glad to be back, Lee." Damon replied.

"So, how was your trip? Did you meet any new people? What Beyblading skills did you learn?" Mariah began the rapid-fire inquiry. "Did you see us compete at the Chinese World Qualifiers? Knowing you, I bet you had front-row seats to the whole thing, didn't you?"

"...Mariah..."

"?"

Lee and Mariah both stopped and noticed tears flowing down Damon's face.

"Damon..."

Both of them reached to comfort him, but Damon wrapped his arms around Mariah and buried his face in her shoulder.

"Damon, it's okay..." Mariah said.

"..." Lee was at a loss for words. He expected Damon to celebrate his homecoming, not mourn it.

The three journeyed home, but as much as Mariah asked, Damon would not budge an inch, remaining silent in response to every question he was asked. Lee didn't know what to do; he never knew Damon to be the silent type. Something was up, and he was going to figure out what.

When the three arrived at Damon's house, Damon said nothing as he moved to enter his house. Lee, however, interrupted him.

"Damon." Lee said.

Damon turned to Lee with a listless look in his eyes.

"Lee, listen..." Damon began.

"No, Damon." Lee interrupted him. "Something's up. You've changed."

"..." Damon clenched his fist.

"What happened to the Damon we grew up with?" he yelled. "You used to be so happy all the time! Now you go halfway across the world and come back a shell of the man you used to be! What the hell happened to you?"

"...It's...a long story, Lee. Right now isn't a good time." Damon said.

"But Damon!" Lee persisted. "I thought we were good friends! I want to help you, but I can't do that if you won't tell me what's wrong!"

"Listen, Lee." Damon said. "I want to tell you what's wrong, but I need time to-"

"Damon!"

"!"

The three darted their eyes over to Damon's rooftop, where a shadowy figure stood. None of them could recognize the figure, but when he jumped down from the roof, Damon recognized him.

"Andrew." Damon grunted. "Aren't you tired of chasing me around?"

"Never! Hunting chumps like you is what makes my job fun!" The man, identified as Andrew, withdrew a shooter.

"You followed me all the way to China just to Beybattle me?" Damon whined, drawing out his shooter as well.

"You make it sound so simple, as always." Andrew sneered. "Let's go, right now!"

"Damon, who is this guy?" Lee asked.

"Lee. Long story." Damon exclaimed. "I'll tell you when I'm finished mopping the floor wi-"

"COME ON!" Andrew roared, letting it rip and releasing his Beyblade to battle.

"!" Damon sprung into action, releasing his Beyblade as well.

The two beelined for each other, colliding instantly and ricocheting off each other. The two recovered and then went in for again, but Damon feinted the attack.

"You won't best me!" Andrew declared.

"Are you sure?" Damon asked calmly. "It wouldn't be the first time you've claimed that."

"Rrr..." he growled. "Let's go, Shiraptor!"

His Beyblade glowed a fierce yellow color, and a large bird-like Bit Beast emerged from it.

"Whoa...!" Lee exclaimed.

"His Bit Beast is gigantic!" Mariah yelled. "Be careful, Damon!"

"Hmph." Damon grunted, unimpressed.

"Black Gale attack!"

Andrew's Beyblade conjured a gigantic black tornado that sped towards Damon's blade.

"Now, Galadillo!" Damon roared.

Damon's Beyblade glowed a deep green color, and from it an armadillo with a steel-spiked shell emerged.

"Wrecking Ball Offense attack!"

His Beyblade sped towards the wall of the entrance to his home, then rode the wall.

"Now!"

Damon's blade jumped from the wall right into the vortex of Andrew's Black Gale attack.

"Oh, no!" Mariah yelled.

"What is he thinking?" Lee added.

However, rather than being jostled around by the fierce winds Shiraptor was conjuring, Galadillo dove straight down into Andrew's blade. As the two collided, Andrew's blade was sent flying, the storm subsided, and Andrew's blade slowly stopped spinning, while Damon's was still going strong.

"Darn you!" He withdrew his blade and ran off. "The Gallant Thorns aren't through with you yet, Damon!"

Damon drew his blade back to his hand. He'd never seen Galadillo pull off that attack so perfectly! That technique took almost his entire journey to perfect, and even then, during his battle with Jacob he-

"Damon, that was awesome!" Lee exclaimed.

"Yeah, you sure showed him!" Mariah said.

"Uhh...yeah, I guess you're right." Damon said. A smile finally formed on his face.

"Now that's the Damon I know!" Lee said, wrapping his arm around Damon's shoulder.

"Heh." Damon chuckled. "Thanks, Lee."

"No problem, dude."

"Damon..." Mariah began. "Just who was that guy, though?"

"Mariah, I don't...want to explain right now."

"..." Mariah and Lee both remained silent.

"Look, I know you guys must have a lot of questions, but I need time!" Damon said. "I want to tell you, and I will, but this isn't the time or place! Besides, I want to tell _all_ of you guys what happened. Where's Ray, anyway?"

"That's...another long story." Lee said.

"So, I'll tell you what." Mariah began. "If you tell us what happened on your trip, we'll tell you what happened with Ray."

"..." Damon initially said nothing before speaking up. "Can we meet up tomorrow? It's too late out to tell you both now."

"I understand. Let's meet tomorrow morning at your place. That sound good?" Lee asked.

"Indeed, sounds good to me."

"Great!" Mariah exclaimed. "Then we'll see you tomorrow, Damon!"

"Take care, Damon." Lee said.

"You, too, Lee." Damon replied.

The two began walking off, but Mariah turned around and returned to Damon.

"Damon..." Mariah said. "You're okay, right?"

"Of course, Mariah." Damon replied. "There's a lot to talk about, though."

"So I guess we'll have to have one of our one-on-one sessions again." she replied, ever so coy.

"I suppose so, m'dear." Damon laughed. "It'll be just like old times. I certainly miss those days."

Mariah chuckled. "I'm really glad to have you back, Damon. You and I...have a lot of catching up to do." She winked at him.

"Oh, stop." he persisted. "If you keep talking like that, you're going to give Lee the wrong idea!"

"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!" she retorted.

"Sh-shut up!" Damon flustered. "How dare you bring up ancient history like that!"

She chuckled before running over to Lee to return to him. "Good-bye, Damon!"

"H-hey!" Damon exclaimed, but it was too late; the two were gone.

"So..." He looked at Galadillo. "I guess it's good to be home..."

"You mean you failed?"

Andrew quivered in front of the figure before him; two other figures stood off to the side. One of them spoke up.

"Hardly a surprise, given how bad he is."

"Shut up, Cal!" Andrew retorted.

"Both of you, stop it." the figure in front of Andrew interrupted. "Andrew, you may very well have compromised the mission! I know you and Damon have history, but you have to understand that this operation must be discreet! If we, the Gallant Thorns, are to retrieve what is rightfully ours, we must make sure that we catch Damon off-guard!"

"I...I understand. I'm sorry..." Andrew said silently.

"Sorry won't cut it, Andrew!" the man spoke up. "We're on his turf now. He's resourceful enough as is without his friends helping him out."

"..." One of the other figures let out a sigh.

"But don't worry. We've tracked him down, and he'll never escape us. And soon enough, when he least expects it, the Gallant Thorns will have what rightfully belongs to us!"

-0-

So, we've learned that Damon is a character with quite the dark past, and a number of people who want something from him. What's in store for him, and for the rest of the White Tigers? Subscribe to the story to find out what happens next!


	2. Subject X Marks the Spot!

Ahh! Time for another chapter! I've fallen behind in updating, but I'll do my best to stay vigilant. :P

-x-

Sunlight. Normally the signal of a new day, but to Damon, this usually meant it was time to get moving.

Things were different now, though. As he looked outside of his window, he saw Lee and Mariah walking down the road to his house. They would be here momentarily, and he had to prepare. He had friends to help him out, and unlike before, he wasn't alone in this struggle. And as made abundantly clear from the events the night before, this struggle was only just beginning. He looked over at his desk at the treasure the Gallant Thorns were looking for.

He then looked at himself in the mirror. Damon was a relatively average man in terms of height. At 5'11", he was barely shorter than Ray, but taller at least than Lee, something Damon would always tease him about in their youth. Since leaving the village two years ago, he'd put on a rather significant amount of muscle weight. He was barely 120 pounds when he left the village at the age of 14. Now 16 and weighing 155, he reminded himself of how far he'd come. He felt confident in the look his experience gave him, despite the scar on his left breast. It was a grim reminder of what he sacrificed to uphold what he believed in.

He started by combing back his jet-black hair. He wore it out instead of up like Ray or Lee always would, but unlike them, his hair was quite short in comparison. In fact, his hair didn't even reach his shoulders. But that's the way he liked it. He embraced being different than his friends. He always embraced the difference within him.

His olive green eyes looked into the mirror as he made sure his hair was at just the right height. He had always been very particular about his appearance ever since he began to take pride in it; he figured it was a coming of age thing, but then he remembered that voice...

"You look at yourself in the mirror longer than most girls do! Geez, would you give it a rest; you look fine!"

His thought was interrupted by the ring of his doorbell.

"Damon, Lee and Mariah are here!"

The voice of his mother rang out. It had been a while since he'd heard that voice say that. It reminded him of fond memories of his youth, when he'd invite everyone over to practice Beyblading.

Back then, he didn't have Galadillo. In fact, nobody had even understood what a Bit Beast was. Nobody knew of any but Driger, the White Tiger Bit Beast. They all just got together, and...

"Let it rip...!"

Things were so easy back then. No wrongs to right. No burdens to bear. Nobody to feel obligated to protect...

"Damon!"

Mariah and Lee entered the room while Damon was lost in the clouds, shirtless and with his comb still in his hair. Damon snapped to his senses, removing the comb from his hair.

"Damon...!" Mariah gasped, shocked at the physical transformation of her childhood friend. "You've, uh...been working out?"

"Yeah, Damon, you look pretty...uhh, good." Lee said, also quite taken aback.

"I figured I wasn't cutting it as a shrimp, so I took the time to beef up while I was on my journey." Damon casually explained. He walked up to Lee, giving him a tiny fist bump on the chest. "Careful, Lee; if I train any harder I'll be able to dress like you!"

Lee let out a soft chuckle. "As snarky as ever, I see."

"Don't you know it." he retorted.

"But that's not why we're here." Mariah explained.

"Yeah, Damon, you owe us an explanation." Lee declared.

"..."

He walked over to his dresser and grabbed a ring case. Opening it, he revealed a Beyblade's Bit. The Bit contained the engraving of a Bit Beast on it. The Bit Beast resembled a giant spirit with no distinct shape or form.

"A...A Bit Beast?"

"What is that?"

"This...is Subject X." Damon said. "It's a prototype Bit Beast a rogue Beyblade gang known as the Gallant Thorns stole."

"Stole?" Mariah asked. "If THEY stole it, why do you have it?"

"I have it because I stole it from them." Damon declared.

"And that's why they're after you." Lee said. "Seems simple enough."

"I wish it was that simple." Damon bitterly replied. "If it were that simple, they wouldn't have chased me halfway across the world in order to get it back from me."

"Then why HAVE they come all this way to get it back? It sounds like Subject X is pretty important to them if they're willing to chase you this far just to get their hands on it." Lee stated.

"It is important. Subject X has a power I've never seen in a Bit Beast." Damon said. He withdrew his own Beyblade. "Because of Subject X...I have Galadillo."

"What?"

"Subject X has a special power. I can't explain it, but when I stole Subject X from the Gallant Thorns..."

-0-

Panting. Gasping. Only the pounding of his heart ringing in his ears could drown the alarms that were blaring throughout the building.

"Intruder alert."

He continues running. That's all he needs to do is to get out of here.

A light at the end of the tunnel? Of course not, that's a bunch of bulls-

"And just where do you think _you're_ going?"

An imposing figure stands before him, Beyblade at the ready. Intimidated and frightened, he locks Subject X's bit into his blade, and lets it rip. An intense light shines when he calls Subject X to fight, and in seconds, the man's Beyblade is in pieces before him, and the man himself is out cold. He feels remorse, but must continue running.

Light. The outside. But by no means is he safe.

He runs to the checkpoint. They said they'd be there, after all.

"Damon, over here!"

A truck comes speeding off the cliff. From the back, a warm, familiar face greets his, with a hand to accompany it. He grabs the hand, and is brought into the truck.

-0-

"And when you woke up, you just...had Galadillo?" Lee asked, confused.

"After I escaped the facility, I took a rest in the back of the truck while my team examined Subject X's power. When I woke up, we were being pursued. Our blades fought off the attackers, but as I released mine, a Beast emerged from the Bit." Damon explained. "That was the first time Galadillo and I fought together. He's powerful, offensively and defensively. I don't know what he is, or where he came from, but I'm grateful for him. He has been my only true friend throughout this ordeal."

"But you said you had a team?" Mariah asked. "What about them?"

"...They..." Damon clenched his fist, then sighed before saying, "betrayed me."

"Damon...I'm sorry." Lee said.

Disregarding Lee's apology, Damon continued. "After it had become apparent our goals were different, I realized that Subject X was not fit for the team, either, and took it upon myself to protect it from harm. I stole it from them, ran, and never looked back."

"And you've been on the run ever since?"

"For six months, I evaded pursuit. I managed to slip out of their radar, which is when I decided to fly home. Or so I thought..."

"And now they're here to claim Subject X..." Lee said. "Well, I'm not going to let them hurt you _or_ take Subject X."

"I'm with you as well, Damon." Mariah explained. "We'll fight them and protect Subject X from them."

Damon smiled. "Thank you both very much." He then put Subject X in his pocket. "But this is my fight. I don't want you two to get involved."

"You tell us a story like that and expect us not to help you?" Lee exclaimed. "You're one of us, and we help our own!"

"He's right, Damon!" Mariah added.

"You don't understand." Damon said. "This isn't just fun and games...They've hurt people. Killed them."

"..."

"And while I appreciate the help, I've seen enough people I care about get hurt for this Bit Beast." Damon said. "It's bad enough that I'm involved."

Mariah put her hand on Damon's. "Damon...You have to understand that regardless of the danger, we'll be with you every step of the way."

"Besides," Lee added, putting his hands around the two of theirs. "Now that they're here in our village, it isn't just your business anymore. It's the business of the White Tigers."

Damon looked down, smiling somberly. "Thank you both."

"Now, enough of the dramatics." Mariah said. "Through all of this crap you endured, there had to have been good times!"

Damon chuckled. "You're right. Despite all of this baggage...I remember a few of my experiences in Canada fondly."

-0-

He stands in the CN Tower. A figure is standing with him, and the two look happy together.

"So this is Toronto, huh?"

"Yeah. Do you like it?"

"Well, the view is beautiful...both down there and up here."

A chuckle. "You're too kind."

"So you say you're part of a up-and-coming Beyblade team, huh?"

"Yeah. The World Championships may already be underway, and it's too late for the qualifiers, but there's always next year, right?"

The two inch closer together.

"So if there is a next year...Can I be a part of your team?"

Another chuckle. "You're a real piece of work, you know that? You show up from out of nowhere and make yourself right at home in my hometown. But you know what? I like you. You've got something. And I think that when the time comes, the team would be happy to have you be a part of it, representing Canada in the World Championships."

Damon smirked. "I appreciate it."

"It's no problem. But don't think I'm putting you on the team just because of...this."

"I think I've done what I had to do to earn my spot on this team."

"You've certainly shown you've got what it takes to Beybattle with the best of them."

"Oh, I can do much more than Beybattle."

"Can you, now?"

The two stare at each other, inching closer and closer before kissing.

-0-

"A girlfriend, huh?" Lee exclaimed. He wrapped his arm around Damon's shoulder. "Well, good for you, buddy! I'm not surprised! I'm sure with that body of yours, you reeled her right in!"

Damon stared at Mariah, confused. "You...didn't tell him?"

"..." Mariah didn't respond at first.

"Huh?" Lee asked, confused.

"I didn't want...to betray your trust." Mariah explained.

"Tell me? Tell me what, guys?"

"Lee...umm..." Damon began. "How do I explain this?"

"Lee...Damon is..."

"I'm gay, Lee."

-x-

Well, that's the big reveal; Damon's a big ol' homo! Turns out all those flashbacks were with a dude! And what's the deal with Subject X? Guess you gotta stick around to figure it out!


	3. Revelations

There comes a time in every man's life where he must be faced with difficult decisions. In the interest of keeping the dynamic of his friendships intact, he refused to tell any of his friends the truth about who he really was.

Ever since the age of 10, Damon knew he was gay. He feared what he was, trapped in the delusions of his peers. If he had told anyone, especially Lee, he feared what the repercussions would have been.

He left the village not only to improve his Beyblading skills and to expand his horizons, but to find love and be himself as well. He embraced that more than anything; the freedom to be the person he was meant to be without fear of losing the relationships he'd spent a decade building.

"I never thought..." Lee began. "This is..."

"I'm sorry if you're disgusted by what I am, Lee." Damon began. "I'll understand if you want to leave now."

"Damon..." Lee said, stunned. "I don't know what to say. I can't say I saw that coming." He then turned to Mariah, and then back to Damon. "Why tell Mariah, though, and not me? Did you not trust me, Damon?"

"Lee, it's not like that." Damon said. "You wouldn't understand, it's different..."

"...I see." He then stood up, turning towards the door. "I'll be right back, I need some air."

"..." Damon clenched his fists.

"Lee...!" Mariah began.

Lee turned back to Mariah, but the look on his face was one of betrayal and disgust. Damon stood there, unmoving. Lee then exited the room, and left the house.

"I knew he'd have a hard time digesting it." Damon sighed. "But not this hard."

He turned to Mariah, tears running down his cheeks.

"Oh, Damon..." Mariah embraced him. "He'll come around; if I know Lee, I know he's a very understanding and caring man. He'll accept you, he just needs time to digest it."

"I know." Damon said, choking back more tears. "I know."

"So you found a boyfriend, but he ended up being a part of the team that betrayed you...That must have been hard."

"You have no idea." He then collapsed in his bed, breaking down. "You don't even know...how hard it was...to just...abandon him like that..."

"..." Mariah said nothing, unable to think of words that would help ease his pain.

"Everything was going so right at first, but after a while...I could just tell...He'd been distant. They were all distant. None of them would talk to me anymore."

-0-

"Hey, guys!" Damon said. "So, did we decipher Subject X yet?"

He looked around the room at three men and a woman.

A tall boy with short, spiky red hair spoke up first. "Not really. Still a lot of research to do."

"Come on, Jaeger, there's gotta be something!" Damon exclaimed. He looked over to a tall, bulky man with short purple hair. "Ivan, have they fixed your Beyblade yet?"

"..." Ivan showed his Beyblade, whose upper ring had suffered extensive damage, rendering it useless. He didn't even turn to look at Damon.

Damon walked over to the woman. "Teresa, can you tell us our next checkpoint for transporting Subject X?"

"If I knew where we'd be going, we'd be on our way already, Damon." she coldly replied.

"..." Damon walked off towards the final man, the one man who would always have something to say. "What's up with everyone, Tyler? Why is everyone giving me the cold shoulder? What the hell have I done to piss everyone off lately?"

"...I dunno." he sheepishly replied. "I'm sure it's nothing. I'm sure you're overreacting, Damon."

-0-

Wiping the tears from his face, he continued. "That was when I knew something was up. Call me paranoid, but I've always been one to trust my gut, and it's never let me down before." Damon said. "So I snuck into the research lab late at night, and saw them conducting tests with two Beyblades. Everyone on the team was present, except for me. I'd been thrown under the bus; but I wanted to make sure something was up.

"I kept sneaking into the labs every night, and every night it was the same thing; the team was using Subject X on their Beyblades to see what kind of effects it had on the Beyblades. The results were amazing; everything from spin speed to acceleration had improved; it was like they were using next-level Beyblades!

"But then I got caught. It was actually Tyler who ratted me out, and from then on, things between us got...a little tense."

"Now why the hell would Tyler of all people rat you out?" Mariah asked defensively. "If he _really_ cared about you, he would have protected you, not left you out to dry."

"We told ourselves and each other, the needs of the unit come before the needs of the individual. It was the creed Tyler himself made, and he breathed it. He would do anything for that team, even if it meant exposing me.

"They never trusted me after that. They tightened security around the labs, and after I managed to sneak in one last time, I overheard our manager Ivan talking about some freak ambition of his to use Subject X to allow the Cyan Blades to reign as World Beyblading Champions. I knew right then and there, Subject X did not belong in the hands of the Cyan Blades.

So I stuck around to see if I could get my hands on Subject X. I had to distract them somehow, so I let Galadillo rip to try and draw their attention away, but when I fired it in the direction of Subject X, it had some kind of reaction. Everything went white, and when I could see again, Subject X was in my hands, and I took off. I haven't seen Tyler or any of the Cyan Blades ever since."

"Oh my..." Mariah said. "So it seems, unlike the Gallant Thorns, the Cyan Blades aren't hellbent on pursuing you to take back Subject X..."

"No, and I don't know if Tyler has anything to do with that..." Damon then slammed his fist against the wall. "But damn it! If only I knew they wanted Subject X for its power...I never expected Tyler of all people to have decieved me..."

"You couldn't have predicted that. Nobody could have." she said reassuringly. "But listen, that's all in the past now. You're back home...and whether you like it or not, the White Tigers are going to help you with this mess you're in."

"Thanks, Mariah." Damon said, smiling. "That means a lot, having you and Lee on my side."

"Of course we're on your side, Damon. You trusted me enough to tell me your secret before you told anyone else. I need you to trust Lee and I that we'll be by your side through this!"

"Well, you I don't have to worry about...But, Lee..."

-0-

How the hell could he do this to him. All these years he kept it a secret, like it was nothing! I mean, sure, it's just a word, it's just a facet of who you are; in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter; but it's utterly ridiculous that he trusted him that little not to tell him. He felt betrayed. Backstabbed, almost. And yet, there was some relief that the truth was out. That something could be done about it...

"Hey, you."

Lee looked over to see a short blonde man standing at the opposite side of the street. However, the street was deserted, so the man couldn't have been talking to anyone else.

"Me?" Lee asked, confused.

"Yes, you." The man whipped out a launcher and loaded it with his Beyblade. "You look like a tough Beyblader. Let's see what you've got."

Confused, Lee eventually regained his composure, saying, "Look, man, I don't have time for this. Maybe some other time." He then began to walk off.

"Oh, so you're chicken, are you?"

"What'd you say?" Lee growled, turning back around.

"That's right, I think you're chicken!" the man said. "I don't think you've got what it takes to Beybattle against me."

"Oh, you'd be dead wrong, mister." Lee withdrew his launcher and loaded it with his Beyblade.

"Are you ready?" the man taunted.

"Hmph."

"Ha!" The man released his Beyblade from his launcher.

"Galeon!" Lee roared, letting loose his Beyblade as well.

The two circled around for a bit before Lee made the opening move.

"Let's see what you're made of. Galeon, attack!"

Lee's Beyblade came in fast, attacking the man's Beyblade constantly. However, the man's blade seemed unfazed by the attack.

"Rrr..."

"Heh."

"Galeon, it's time!" Lee exclaimed as Galeon emerged from his Beyblade. "Black Thunder, Dark Lightning attack!"

Lee charged in, but as he did, the man made his move.

"Now, Shishark! Devouring Wave attack!"

A gigantic shark emerged from the man's Beyblade. The shark lunged onto Galeon, but Galeon's lightning shook it off. Both Beyblades were sent flying backwards.

"Not bad." Lee said.

"Urgh..." the man grunted. "I guess you're stronger than I anticipated. But it doesn't matter. Shishark!"

The man's Beyblade came in again for another attack.

"Galeon!"

Lee's Beyblade responded by meeting the attack head-on. The collision sent both Beyblades flying back towards their owners. Both of them caught the blades.

"A draw...interesting." the man said. He smiled, and then approached Lee. "I know a tough Blader when I see one, and you're one of the better opponents I've faced."

"I have to admit, you're pretty impressive as well." Lee said. "You don't look like you're from around here. What's your name?"

"The name's Cal, kid." He extended his hand. "How about yours?"

"Lee, of the White Tigers." He greeted the hand, shaking it. "Have you heard of us?"

"Yes, I have indeed." He then narrowed his eyes. "And yes, I do happen to be new in town, as a matter of fact. Perhaps you could...show me around?"

"Uhh..." Lee shrugged. "You see, I'd love to, but I have to get back to a friend of mine."

"I gotcha." Cal said. "Maybe some other time."

"If I see you again, be sure to remind me." Lee noted. "Catch ya later."

"See you around, Lee." Cal said as Lee ran off in the opposite direction.

"And that's the whole story."

"So Ray just sided himself with a new team and then beat you guys in the World Championship Qualifiers?" Damon exclaimed. "That's crazy! Why would Ray go and do that?"

"He had his reasons." Mariah said. "Ray's a good man. He and Lee worked things out, and there's no bad blood between us anymore."

"Suppose it's for the best." Damon said indifferently. "I've only ever had to care about Ray because you like him so much."

"Shut up, Damon, you know I don't like to talk about it!" Mariah said defensively. "Besides...ever since we lost to the Bladebreakers, we were actually thinking about you a lot..."

"Me?"

"Ever since Ray showed his face in China again, we were wondering when we were going to see you. Lee was especially worried about you." Mariah then put her hand on Damon's. "Two years _is_ a long time, you know, Damon..."

"I know I've been gone a while, but you at least understand why now." Damon explained. "But was Lee really that worried about me?"

"He wouldn't stop going on about how he thought the cold was too much for you. We laughed about it, but I was worried, too...But Lee, there was something about him...When I said that you were coming home, he was really..._happy_. He explained that we could rebuild the White Tiger family like how it used to be after the World Championships. Ray would come home, and then we could be a family again!"

"We still can be, you know."

The two turned around. Lee was standing in the doorway.

"Lee!" Mariah exclaimed, embracing him.

"I guess Mom let you in." Damon explained.

"...Yeah." Lee said. "I couldn't help but overhear you guys talking about me."

Lee and Damon stared at each other coldly for a moment. Mariah, noticing the tension, found her way to the door. "Do you guys...need a minute?"

"You wouldn't mind?" Lee said politely.

"Please, Mariah." Damon insisted. "Thank you."

Mariah exited the room, closing the door behind her. Lee sat in the chair next to the bed, facing towards Damon.

"So you're gay, huh..."

"Yup."

"..."

An awkward silence broke out between them. Neither could figure out what to say to the other. This had never really happened with Mariah, he got a hug, a _good for you, I'm so proud you told me_ speech, but he'd never told one of his male friends before...

"Well, I just want you to know, this changes nothing. You're one of the most important people in my life, and you being gay doesn't make that any different. I'm glad you found the courage to tell me, but I wish I would've known before. I was starting to think that you and Mariah-"

"_Ew!_" Both Damon and Mariah (from the other side of the door) impuslively exclaimed. All three of them burst out laughing.

"Thanks, you guys, I'm really happy to have both your guys' support." Damon said.

"No problem, man." Lee said. "Now that you know you have our support, let's get to work on beating up these Gallant Thorns thugs."

"Yeah!" Damon exclaimed.

-0-

"Lee, hmm?"

"Yeah, he's apparently Damon's best friend." Cal explained. "Guess we underestimated the kid's connections. Guy's a solid Blader, too."

"Damn it." the man exclaimed. "We must get our hands on Subject X, no matter what the cost! Do you hear me, men?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" the rest all said in unison.

"Good..." the man said, a satisfactory grin forming across his face.

-X-

So Cal is one of the Gallant Thorns! He must be quite the Blader if he was able to battle Lee to a draw! But what about the rest of the Gallant Thorns? I guess you'll have to wait and see!


End file.
